Genotype and injury severity modulate the effects of traumatic brain injury on sleep in Drosophila

TL;DR

This study shows that both injury severity and genetic background affect how traumatic brain injuries impact sleep in fruit flies.

Contribution

The study demonstrates for the first time how injury severity and genetic background modulate TBI effects on sleep in Drosophila.

Findings

TBI effects on sleep increase with injury severity in both genetic backgrounds.

Genetic differences between Drosophila strains influence susceptibility to TBI-induced sleep changes.

Abstract

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have many negative impacts in humans (i.e. lifespan, cognitive function, sleep). Recently,
Drosophila
emerged as a model for studying these impacts in a controlled environment. Previous studies have described effects of TBIs on sleep in
Drosophila
, but how these effects are modulated by injury severity or genetic background has not been explicitly investigated. Here, we exposed male
Drosophila melanogaster
from two genetic backgrounds to two TBI severity treatments and measured effects on sleep. We document significantly increasing effects with injury severity in both genetic backgrounds and describe differences between genotypes, demonstrating a genetic basis to susceptibility.

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